When the session began on September 8, a number of burning issues like the August 17 serial bomb blasts across the country, price hike of fuel and essentials were expected to be discussed in the House. The opposition lawmakers submitted 28 notices demanding discussion on the issues, adjourning the other business of the House.

But none of the demands was met, and no discussion was held on any issue of significance. The speaker, as he had done in the past, rejected all the notices because the ruling alliance did not want any issue to be discussed in the House.

In the absence of the main opposition Awami League, the ruling alliance lawmakers did not raise any important issue in the House though they participated in different businesses of the sittings like question answer session, call attention notices.

Even, none of the lawmakers raised any burning issue during the PM's question time for half an hour on last Wednesday.

The ministers answered a total of 794 questions, both starred and unstarred. Lawmakers submitted 213 call attention notices and some of them were discussed. Except two Jamaat-e-Islami lawmakers, none of the ruling alliance legislators submitted any notice on the August 17 blasts.

Among the major tasks transacted by the House was to pass nine bills including six for enhanced salaries of the president, prime minister, speaker, deputy speaker, ministers, state ministers, deputy ministers, lawmakers and judges of the Supreme Court.

The speaker in his winding up speech, as could be expected, described the session as a successful one.

Question answer session

The question answer session in parliament has lost its attraction as the lawmakers ask many irrelevant and farcical questions forcing the House to focus on less important issues.

During the question hour, lawmakers are entitled to ask questions to ministers on different aspects of administration and government policy on national as well as international issues. The ministers concerned have to stand up and answer for their respective ministries' acts of omission or commission.

But the lawmakers hardly raise important issues in their questions, they rather ask questions mostly concerning their respective constituencies. Ministers who respond to the queries do not take those seriously, and very often give answers using some common terms such as 'under consideration' or 'on availability of funds'.

The ruling coalition lawmakers do not dare to embarrass the ministers by asking critical questions.

The situation is such that when the LGRD minister or the communications minister is scheduled to answer, lawmakers simply ask questions demanding roads, bridges and culverts in their respective constituencies. If it is the home ministry's turn to respond, they demand police stations or pick up vans for the police stations in their constituencies.

The PM's question time once a week has also lost its importance as the ruling coalition legislators ask questions that do not deserve answer from the prime minister.

In such a situation, the speaker has a vital role in deciding the admissibility of questions.

The question answer session has lost its significance particularly because of the main opposition lawmakers' absence from the House for long.

Lawmakers' questions are of two types -- starred and unstarred. A starred question is one to which a member seeks an oral answer while an unstarred question requires a written answer, and no supplementary questions on it are allowed.

The rules of procedure of the Jatiya Sangsad provide that each sitting of a session will have one hour for question-answer.

It is considered the most effective parliamentary instrument to have the government make its views or position on any issue known. It is also the most feared and difficult time for the ministers who have to respond to questions.

But the current session that began on September 8 witnessed no burning issues raised by lawmakers. At the first sitting of the session, the state minister for home replied to queries for about an hour but there was no question on the August 17 blasts.

More than 35 ruling alliance lawmakers demanded that the state minister provide fire service stations or pick up vans for the police stations in their respective constituencies.

Some lawmakers even asked him the number of fire stations in their constituencies.

The state minister replied to the questions, orally or in writing.

At the second sitting of the session, about 40 lawmakers questioned the communications minister about construction of roads and bridges in their respective constituencies. All of them ignored a vital issue like transport fare hike following fuel price rise. A woman lawmaker however asked a question on the issue.

A number of lawmakers even wanted to know how many roads were constructed during the present government's tenure.

Other questions were also of similar nature.

LGRD and Cooperatives Minister Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan, while replying to lawmakers' queries for about an hour, used some terms like 'under consideration', 'will be examined' etc. The lawmakers demanded more development work in their constituencies.

On September 15, several BNP lawmakers asked the post and telecommunications minister to give the number of subscribers under Bangladesh Telegraph and Telephone Board. They however asked if his ministry has any plan for expansion of the service.